The replacement of laser machining nozzles on a laser machining head of a laser machine tool, for example, on a laser welding head or on a laser cutting head, is a repetitive process.
In the case of a 2D laser cutting system for sheet metals, particular importance is attached to the laser cutting head and hence also to the cutting nozzle. To obtain improved cutting results for different thicknesses of sheet, different nozzles are used. In existing laser cutting systems, sheets of different thickness can be loaded for processing onto the machine using automatic loading devices. A change of cutting nozzle is carried out with the aid of what is called a nozzle changer. The preliminary requirement for a fully-automated nozzle change is to identify the laser machining nozzle.